Apparatus for continuous treatment of material.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

W. H. GESNER. APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS TREATMENT OF MATERIAL.

APPLIOATION FILED 0011.28. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Maine/550,8:

Patented September 27, 1904.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. GESNER, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CARIBBEAN MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF.NEIV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS TREATMENT-OF MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,141, datedSeptember 27, 1904.

Application filed October 28, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GESNER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in

"the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Apparatus for the Continuous Treatment ofMaterials, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to continuous-process apparatusfor the treatmentof various materials by heat.

- In many operations-such as boiling, cooking, heating, andrefrigeratingit is desirable to avoid the waste of time and temperaturesnecessitated by emptying and recharging the receptacle in which thematerial is treated.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in which thematerial may be continuously supplied, subjected to the requiredtemperature for the required period to complete the treatment, andcontinuously discharged, thus permitting the treatment to beeconomically carried on, with the further ad- 2 vantage of greatuniformity of product.

The invention consists in certain novel features and arrangements ofparts and details of construction by which the above objects areattained, to be hereinafter described.

0 The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and showthe invention as adapted to the treatment of materials in themanufacture of soap.

Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus.

3 5 Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation. Fig.3 is an end view of a portion partly in section. Fig. 4; is alongitudinal section showing a detail on a larger scale.

4 Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

The apparatus will serve for a variety of uses, as in the preparation ofpartly-cooked cereals, in the manufacture of ice-cream and ices, theproduction of various emulsions, or

in processes in which the chemical combination of ingredients requirescertain temperatures, as in saponification. I will for con- Serial No.178,938. (No model.)

venience describe the invention as applied to the manufacture of soap.

The apparatus as shown in the drawings comprises two main portionsamixing-chamber or supply-receptacle in which the materi als to betreated are received and intimately mingled by mechanical agitation anda jacketed cylinder containing a screw conveyor in which the mixedmaterial is subjected to the action of cooling or in this case heatingagent.

In the manufacture of soap the fats, oils, alkalies, and otheringredients are supplied in the proper proportions to the mixing-chamberA in the form of a vertical cylindrical casing in which is an agitatorcomprising the loops A A, revolved oppositely in close proximity to eachother, in a manner analogous to that in the well-known form ofegg-beater, by spur-gears A A meshing together and loosely mounted onvertical pipes A A and held in position upon a fixed cross-beam A by ahousing or keeper A Motion is imparted to the spur-gears by acrown-wheel A, mounted on a main shaft A and meshing with one of thegears. The loops are connected each to its spur-gear by vertical arms AA. The pipes serving as centers for the spur-gears extend 7 5 verticallydownward in the mixing-chamber and are curved outwardly at A A to avoidinterference with the loops A and join a transverse pipe A, controlledby a valve A. Steam is admitted to the upper ends of the pipes A A andafter traversing them escapes through the pipe A serving to warm thematerials during the mixing. The thoroughly mixed and warmed mass passesby gravity to the jacketed cylinder comprising a casing B, 8 5 set at aslight upward inclination relatively to the mixing-chamber, and aninclosing shell B of slightly larger diameter, the annular space 6between them serving as a steam space or jacket. This space is closed atthe 9 upper or delivery end of the casing by a ring B and at the lowerend by a cap or plug B also closing the casing B at this end. The

upper end of the casing is open except for a bar B extending across theopenlng and having a central boss B" serving as a bearing for the upperend of the screw-shaft l, the lower end being supported in a centralopening in the cap B, provided with a stufling-box B. The shaft ishollow and receives steam at the lower end through a pipe l), controlledby a valve D" and extending axially into the shaft through astuffing-box D The shaft and its screw 0 are revolved in the directionto force the material upward along the inclined casing by a worm-wheel Con the overhung lower end of the shaft engaged by a worm .E on avertical shaft E, supported in brackets secured to the fran'iework ofthe mixing-chamber. On the upper end of the shaft E isa worm-wheel E, inmesh with the worm A on the main shaft A above described. Motionimparted to the main shaft from a motor (not represented) drives theagitators A A at a high rate of speed and through the system ofworm-gears drives the screw at the required relatively slow speed.

The spiral thread constituting the screw C is hollow andis supplied withsteam through openings 0 0, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) having acombined area equal to that of the supply-pi 'ie D, and thus capable ofadmitting to the hollow screw the main portion of the steam received,which after traversing the spiral escapes again to the hollow shaft Cthrough the holes 0 c at the upper end. It is important that the shaft 0also be heated, but that the flow therethrough be checked in order tocompel the main portion of the supply to follow the screw. This isaccomplished by inserting within the shaft the tapered nozzle 0immediately below the openings 0 and arranged to direct its current intothe open end of a pipe F, entering the shaft C axially at the upper endthrough a stuffing-box F and delivering into the upper portion of theannular space 7). The aperture in the nozzle is sufiiciently contractedto check the flow of steam, and the shape is such that the steamescaping through it acts similar to an injector in aiding theflow ofsteam through the screw and holes 0. After circulating in the jacket andimparting heat to the casing the steam and any water of condensationescapes through the valve B at a low point in the jacket. 13 is one of aseries of longitudinal strips arranged in the jacket below the casing,serving to suppprt the latter and the screw C. Perforations 7) in thestrips allow the steam to circulate freely.

The fats, oils, and alkalies intimately mingled and warmed in themixing-chamber are received in the lower end of the casing and the massimmediately engaged by the screw, receiving heat from the screw and itsshaft and also from the inclosing casing. \Vhen it has been thus boiledfor a suflicient period, depending upon the temperature of the steam,the length of the screw, and the character of the ingredients,saponilication takes place, and the resulting soap in a semisolid massis discharged continuously from the upper end of the casing, whence itis carried away to be cut or molded into bars or cakes and allowed toharden. The spent lye and other liquids not incorporated with the, soapmay flow downward along the bottom of the casing and be drawn off atintervals through the drain-pipe G, controlled by the gate-valve Gr.

H is asafety-valve on a pipe H, communieating with the interior of the Icasing at a point near the line of saponification to relieve thepressure if the latter exceed that due to the head or level of thesupply in the mixingchamber, and thus prevent a backward movement of theliquid mass in the casing.

By inclining the casing B the opening thereto from the mixing-chamber isnormally submerged, and thus sealed. The mass while in a liquidconditiontends toward this end of the casing, and the action of thescrew in this portion is mainly to agitate and raise the temperature ofthe liquid mass; but as soon as stiffened by saponilication it is pickedup by the screw, carried forward and upward between the hot surfacesuntil sufficiently solidified, and then delivered. I

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions within widelimits, and parts of the invention may be used without the whole. Theinclination of the casing B may be varied to suit the requirements ofthe material treated. Slower solidification requires greater inclinationand a longer screw and treatment.

Although I have described the invention as using steam as the heatingagent, hot water or air may beemployed in some processes, or arefrigerant may be used, as ammonia-gas or cold brine, in the continuousmanufacture of ice-cream or other frozen products. Other forms of mixingdevices may be substituted.

for the egg-beater construction shown, and the methods of impartingmotion to the mixer and screw conveyer may be varied.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus of the character set forth, amixing-chamber, a casing below the same inclined and having its lowerend beneath said chamber arranged to receive material directly therefromand adapted to have its communication therewith normally submerged andsealed, a steam-jacket inclosing said casing, a hollow conveyer in saidcasing and means for supplying steam to said jacket and conveyer.

2. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a mixing-chamber, aninclined casing beneaththe same with its end beneath said chamberadapted to receive material directly therefrom and to have itscommunication therewith normally sealed, a steam jacket inclosing saidcasing, a hollow shaft extending through the casing, a hollow screw onsaid shaft, and means for supplying steam to said jacket, shaft andscrew.

3. In an apparatus of the characterset forth, a mixing-chamber, a casinginclined and having one end adapted to receive material directly fromsaid chamber, a steam-jacket inclosing said casing, a hollow shaft insaid cas ing having openings at one end thereof, an obstruction in saidshaft between said openings for the purpose set forth, a hollow screw onsaid shaft, and means for supplying steam to said jacket, screw andshaft.

4. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a casing, a steam-jacketinclosing said casing, a hollow shaft extending axially of said casing,a hollow screw on said shaft, and means for supplying steam to thelatter at one end and delivering it at the other to said jacket,

openings from said shaft to said screw at one end, openings from saidscrew to said shaft at the other end, a nozzle having a contractedaperture arranged as an obstruction in said shaft to compel a portion ofthe steam received in said shaft to traverse the interior of said screw,and serving by the escape of steam through said aperture to induce acurrent of steam through said screw.

5. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a mixing-chamber, a mixertherein comprising two revolving loops, spur gear-wheels on said loopsin mesh with each other, a main shaft extending transversely of saidchamber, a crown-wheel thereon meshing with one of said spurgear-wheels, a worm on said main rectly therefrom, a screw conveyer insaid casing, a shell inclosing said casing with a space between themserving as a acket, a cap closing the lower end of said casing, andmeans for supplying heat to said screw conveyer and jacket, wherebymaterial supplied to said chamber will be mixed, flow to said conveyer,be treated by heat in said' casing, and be delivered from the open upperend of said casing.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. GEsNER.

Witnesses:

RoB'r. CONNOR, CHARLES R. SEARLE.

